Improvement in portable wardrobes



l. N. FW'LEH. Portable wardrobes.

Patented June 24, |873.

l' mWnww/m JOHN N. EOWLEE, 0E. GREEN POINT, NEW YORK.

IMPRVEWIENT IN PORTABLE WARDROBES.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. h/JMLI 301D, dated J une 2l, 1873 5 application tiled April 16, 1e73.

secured upon the wall of the apartment. The

mode of' mounting being such that it cannot be dismounted except lby operating on the inside.

The apparatus being provided with suitable locking means the inclosed goods are perfectly secured. The construction may be made cheaply and adapted for poor families,

or may equally serve those in better circum! stances. It is particularly well adapted for families 'traveling' who require to provide means for arranging garments and other articles in their hotels so as to be more roomy and conveniently accessible than in trunks.

The followingis aidescription of what I consider the best means of carrying out the in- V vention The accompanying drawings form a part of this specification.

' Figure l is a central vertical section, on the line S S, in Fig. 2. Fig. 2 is afront elevation a portion being broken. away. Fig. 3 is a vertical section on the line T T in Fig. 4. Fig. 4 is a front elevation.

In thisv figure the invention is represented as being opened ready for the reception of goods. In Fig. 2 it is represented in the closed condition. The first two figures showl theinvention arranged for a wardrobe, the last two for a cupboard. The remaining figures show some modifications. l

Fig. 5 is a vertical section through one of the side pieces, made out of one solid piece of wood. Fig. 6 is a vertical section on the line X X, in Fig.I 7, andFig. 7 is a face view of a modified form of one of the side pieces.

Similar letters of reference indicate correspending parts in all the gures. l

The sides of the wardrobe are counterparts of each other, anda description of one will suffice for both. v

A is a doubly-grooved strip of ash, or other strong wood, capable ofl being steamed and bent. It is bent into the form represented extending up the back perpendicularly, then describing a semicircle at the top, descending again perpendicularly a considerable distance, and then inclinin g backward, and joining the back near the bottom. The space thus inclosed is filled with the panel B, which may be of wel1seasonedwood, or, in some instances, may be made of muslin. I will describet as wood, and fitting in the groove a, which is formed in the edge of the strip A, as shown.

Another and larger groove, a', formed in one of' the faces of each strip, A, serves a different and very important function, that of sustaining and guiding the hinged Slat-work connected together in two series, D and E. The slat-work E is first inserted, and being introduced into the groove a' from below and passed up the back of the structure, thence over the top, down the front 'comes to rest in the lower inclined portion of the front. I prefer the inclined form of this part, as when my invention is mounted, as it usually will be,

in a high position in a room, the wardrobe causes less inconvenience to the heads of the occupants in consequence of this form. The second andlon ger series of Slat-Work D is then introduced in the same manner at the bottom, passed up the back, and caused to come over until it matches'against the upper edge ofthe lower series E. A lock of any suitable construction is provided to holdy the upper series D in this closed position when desired. Gr is the key-hole through 'which a lockis operated.

Both the series of Slat-work may be formed of black walnut, or other suitable Wood, and

connected together by strips of leather d e,

screwed or otherwise -secured on the inner faces. The edge of each slat should belet into a groove in th-e edge of the adjoining slat, so 'as to make a tolerabl y tight joint. In order .to prevent the joints of the upper series D..

introduced at convenient points to facilitate the adjustment of the'slatwork.

with leather, cloth, or. felt.

e v 1140.1` ao The sides A B are held iirmly inparallel positions by means of removable cross-bars H I J, each of which is readily connected and disconnected from the sides when desired. 'Ihe connection is formed oy means of T-heads formed on the hars,orof metallic piecesfirmly xed thereto, and fitting in tapering mortises formed on the inner facts of the side pieces.`

A B-t-hat is to say, each side piece is formed with mortises which are open at their upper ends, and adapted to receivethe T-ends of the cross-bars easily, but which are narrower below. On introducing the Taheads of the cross-bars-H I J in these mortises, and pressing them downward into the contracted pon tion of the mortises, they hold. the side pieces together very rmly. The corresponding cross bar K tits in a corresponding manner in mortises near the bottom of the perpendicular part ofthe frontof each side piece, and thus seryes to hold the side pieces stiy in the proper positions parallel to each other. The upper crossbar H has a groove or slot properly formed to receive and support doublehooks M, having Theads m, which ntin the groove. The hooks may be adjusted laterallyin the groove at will. They are introduced and removed at a point where the front of 'the `groove is widened, as shown in Fig. 4.

I propose, in making large wardrobes, in this manner to divide the side pieces A B at about the middle height and provide them` with hinges, so that each may fold and lie in a shorter trunk in packing.

L is a shelf which may be introduced at pleasure, and supported upon pins, or projections l, formed in the respective side pieces. There may be as many of these shelves, and as many supporting-pins as are required for any particular purpose, so that the device may be used as a cupboard instead of a wardrobe, it' desired. I have shown two series of the K supports I, adapted to support two shelves.

1t will be understood that to open the Wardrobe the series of slut-work D is slid up at the front, thus opening the front, while the slats which were previously curved over the top slide down the back.

Large wardrobes or cupboards of this construction should have one or more anti-friction rollers supported in bearings near the top of the interior, and extending across from one side piece to the other. These anti-friction rollers should have such diameter as to press fairly against the inner face of the upper series D of the Slat-work, and thus reduce the fric tion in opening and closing.

vSome parts of the invention may be useful without the whole. Thus, the exterior connection d of the Slat-work -D may be dispensed with by connecting the slats together Chamois-leather or other soft material, serving asa packing, may be secured in the joint between each of the several slats, and `thus serve to more effectually exclude dust. The back of the entire structure may be covered with muslim, or

the edge provided withi felt, to make a tight nt against the wall; or both these precautions may be employed, to aid in excluding dust.

'lo mount the construction upon the wall, two stout-headed pins or nails are firmly set in the wall, as indicated by I), and two corresponding locking-slots are made in the back; faces ot' the strips A A, orin plates of metal afxed for .the purpose. The lower edge of each slot is open, and adapted to receive the heads of the pins P. The sides A B, and the cross-bars H I J K, being properly applied together, and the headed pins P being set in the wall in the proper positions, the structure is lifted to the proper height and pressed back against the wall, so that the heads of the pins P will each enter the lower open portion ot" its respective slot 1J. Then the structure is drawn downward s'o as to re ceive the pins P into the upper and contracted portion of the respective slots p. Now the structure is firmly mounted. A screw, T, ininserted through the cross-har J, prevents the wardrobe from being detached until the screw is again removed, and the whole frame again lifted. After the frame is thus firmly mounted on the wall, the slat-work E is'introduced and moved over to its place, and after it the slat work'D, and the lock being in proper condition, the whole is ready for use.

The hooks M may have washers of rubber or analogous material on the inner faces of their T-heads, so as to provide a little friction which `will prevent them :from rattling, and i keep them in any position in which they are placed.

I believe it practicable to make the slatwork D E in great part of muslin, providing suitable stout material at the edges, to run in the grooves a; and I propose to so construct 1 my wardrobe in some cases. I also propose to make the rigid sides, in some cases, of a single piece each, and to produce the groove afin its inner face. Another plan would be to glue and screw two slender bent strips upon such inner face, so as to form the groove a between them; but I much prefer the bent strip A and separate panel B fitted in the' groove a, as shown in Figs. 1 and 2.

I claim as my invention- 1. The T-headed cross-bars H I J K fitting in correspondinggrooves or mortises in the rigid sides, in combination with movable slatwork, as specified.

2.- The rigid side pieces A B of' the bent strips A, doubly grooved, as indicated by a a', in combination with the panel B and sliding slat-work, to close the front, as specified.

3. The exterior strapping d on the slat-work D, adapted to maintain the tightness of the joints on the curved upper portion of the wardrobe in combination with rigid sides, having curved grooves at the top, and connecting cross-bars, as specified.

The'transverse sliding-hooks M, in combi; nation with the grooved cross-bar H, and-` More@ v "3v enitable rigid 'sides and movable slet-work, es specified.. 4. Y i

5. The-shelves L, and supports l, in combimation with movable Slat-work, detachable rigid sides, and rigid cross-connections H I J 1K, as herein specified.

6..A wardrobe or cupboard; formed of detachable parts., with Slat-Work moving in grooves, as specified, .and provided at the hack with the looking-grooves p, adapted to receive headed-pins P xed on the walls, and

thereby toy suspend the strueture at will, and; allow it 15o` be firmly secured by the aid of a, screw, T, inserted from the interior of the structure, all substantially as herein specified. In` testimony whereof, I have hereunto -sei: my hand this 14th day. of April,1873, in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

v JOHN N. FOWLER. Witnesses:.

HENRYl S. LEWIS, ALBERT G. WASHBURN. 

